Teddy Day (February 10th)

Huggable and squeezable, teddy bears offer a delightful way for children (and adults!) to find comfort and affection from these fuzzy, cuddly creatures. Show some special love to someone in honor and celebration of Teddy Day! 

History of Teddy Day

As part of the week of love or Valentine’s week, Teddy Day is celebrated on the fourth day before Valentine’s Day. This day was established as an opportunity to show the people in your life how much they are loved, particularly through the gift of a small teddy bear or other stuffed animal. It is a fun way to get connected with gift-giving, show that you care, and even get creative with the celebration time during these darker days of winter. 

Sometimes also referred to as Valentine Teddy Day,

Other days that are involved with the Valentine’s week celebration of love include Rose Day, Kiss Day and several others.  

How to Celebrate Teddy Day

Looking for some interesting ways to show appreciation for and celebrate this delightful day? Consider some of the following ideas for getting involved with Teddy Day:

Hug a Teddy Bear

Every child enjoys a toy, doll or stuffed animal that they can love and show affection to, and Teddy Day is just the time to feature this kind of fun! On this day, kids can be encouraged to get their stuffed Animals out and give them a little squeeze, play with them, or even have a tea party with them. It’s a delightful opportunity for children to bond with their beloved toys and make a special time out of it!

Gift a Teddy Bear

Those who want to follow along with the traditions of Teddy Day may want to celebrate by gifting the person they love with a delightful little stuffed animal to cuddle. Those who know that their loved one’s world is already filled with enough teddy bears might want to exchange the actual animal for a cute picture of one included on a greeting card or some others. After all, it’s really the thought that counts!

Another option for making a gift on Teddy Day for someone who already has a teddy bear might be to head over to a Build-a-Bear or some other shop that features stuffed animals and create an outfit that can be gifted. Themed outfits for teddies are available in a huge range, from occupations like doctors and nurses to licensed characters from films and shows. It’s a fun way to say you care – and to get that sweet little bear all dressed up!

Donate a Teddy Bear

Those in families whose children have a large number of stuffed Animals and teddy bears might want to take this day as an opportunity to make a donation of some of those gently-used toys to a charitable organization. These beloved toys and teddy bears will find their way to the home of a child who may have experienced loss and can find some solace on Teddy Day and all around the year.

Try Out Some Teddy Costumes

Some folks might want to go all out and dress themselves up on Teddy Day. An alternative option might be to dress up a baby or child in bear’s ears. Or, even better, some Pet shops sell cute little dog costumes and dressing up a puppy as a bear in honor of Teddy Day might be just the cutest thing!

Learn About the Name of the Teddy Bear

For more than a century, the Teddy Bear has been a feature in children’s toy chests and even a friend to cuddle while they sleep at night. But some people aren’t aware that the name of this famous bear came from a unique situation that happened with a former president of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt was well-known for his love of the outdoors, nature and conservation. Giving a great deal of attention to environmental efforts, Roosevelt even had a national park named after him.

Back in 1902, the story goes that Teddy was out on a hunt when he was the only one from the group who didn’t get a shot. Taking pity on him, the fellows from the hunting party tied up a small bear to a tree so that Roosevelt could shoot the bear and not go home defeated. But he took pity and refused to shoot the bear, saying it was unSportsmanlike.

Once the story got out, a New York toy shop owner that was selling stuffed bears at the time, gave their bears the name “Teddy” in honor of the president – and the cute little name stuck!